Customs releases rice shipment from So. Leyte

CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs -Port of Cebu has released yesterday the 1,045 bags of rice after the consignee was able to present a shipping permit from the National Food Authority-7.

Captain Jerry Arizabal, district commander of Customs Police Division-Port of Cebu, said he recommended to District Collector Rolando Almadin to put on hold the rice shipment as the consignee failed to present the shipping permit when it arrived Monday at Pier 3.

The rice shipment with a brand name "Golden Ring" is consigned to Eureka Grain Trader located at Tabo-an Public Market, Cebu City.

The shipment, which was loaded in two trucks has an estimated value of  around P1.9 million, came from Southern Leyte and destined for Cebu City on board M/V Gloria 3.

Customs police chief for intelligence Jimmy Aguilar was instructed Monday night by Arizabal to proceed to Southern Leyte, specifically the barangays of Abuyog and Javier, to personally check if indeed it's a harvest season there.

These barangays were reported to be the places where the rice shipment came from.

"I personally went to the site, harvest season  " said Aguilar.

Arizabal said they have to countercheck whether the rice is sourced locally or an imported one.

He added that consignee was able to present the shipping permit for this shipment and the permit was authenticated by NFA-7.

Under NFA rules and regulations, a shipment of 500 bags of rice, whether sourced locally or from other country, has to have a shipping permit from NFA.

Recently, more than 300 container vans loaded with rice from Vietnam that arrived in Cebu last year were declared abandoned after the consignees failed to file an import entry and failed to present the required shipping permit. — (FREEMAN)